


Optimistic

by rose_malmaison



Series: Promise [31]
Category: NCIS
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:30:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1747955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_malmaison/pseuds/rose_malmaison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim had seen Tony hooked up to machines enough times to know what to expect but somehow this was worse than usual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Optimistic

**Optimistic**

"You can go in now."

That was all Tim needed to hear and he was hurrying into ICU.

He'd seen Tony hooked up to machines enough times to know what to expect but somehow this was worse than usual. It wasn't just Tony's face, swollen from medications, that got to him, or the tubes protruding from beneath the flimsy hospital gown, dripping fluids into a container. It wasn't even the whooshing of the ventilator pumping life-giving oxygen into whatever remained of Tony's plague-scarred lungs.

It was the restraints that disturbed him. They had secured Tony's hands to prevent him from pulling at the tubes and wires, but even in his current semi-conscious state, Tony made small, futile attempts to get free.

"Shhh. Everything's okay." Tim gently smoothed the hair away from Tony's forehead. "It's all over. I'm right here. You're safe now." After a while, Tony relaxed and Tim held his hand and watched his chest rise and fall with mechanical precision.

Tim had been on the go since he left Okinawa, so he soon fell asleep in the beside chair. A hand on his shoulder woke him, a nurse informing him, "He'll be waking up soon. I notified Dr. Pitt."

Sure enough, a short time later Tony's eyes slowly opened and he blinked at Tim, groggy and confused. Tim assured him that everything was fine, but he could see the moment that Tony realized that he was still on a vent. Tony struggled but he was so drugged up he couldn't do any more than plead with his eyes, but Tim got the message.

"Take it easy, Tony." Tim placed a hand on Tony's chest. "The surgery went well. Brad said they got it all out, and they used that VATS surgery so you'll recover faster."

Tony managed to grasp Tim's hand and squeeze it. "What's?" asked Tim. "The baby?" Tony squeezed again, and Tim smiled. "He's still with us. He's a fighter like you, babe." Tony relaxed, his eyelids drooping, and Tim leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You sleep now. I'll be right here when you wake up, okay?"

It wasn't until the next day that they removed the ventilator, and the restraints, but Tony required oxygen through a face mask. "You keep that on," warned a nurse when Tony touched it. "Your stats are still low."

"Got enough wires and things comin' outta me," Tony complained in a rough voice, muffled behind the mask. " _'I am the Borg_.'"

"You just had a section of lung removed, Tony," Tim said, laughing at the Borg reference. "Brad is optimistic that you'll get out of here on schedule."

" _Ten_ days," groaned Tony.

" _Maybe_ ten days," corrected Tim. When Tony groaned again, Tim took his hand and sat close. "I don't know about you, but this has taken ten years off my life."

"Sorry," Tony mumbled.

"So am I. But we'll figure this out. Together, okay?"

Tony nodded and closed his eyes. "Tired."

"I love you, Tony."

"Mmmm…"

< • > end < • >

 

 


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